This invention relates to a safety device for use with a protective sports helmet and more particularly to a football type helmet having a fully break-away face mask portion. Modern football helmets now generally include an outwardly extending face mak permanently connected to the helmet in such a manner so as to protect the face of the wearer from injury during maneuvers associated with such sport. However, with the introduction and common use of such face mask construction there has been a consequential rise in neck injuries caused by opponents' grasping the face mask portion of the helmet in attempts to tackle or otherwise displace the position of the wearer. Generally, injuries of this type are caused by a twisting motion imparted to the head and subsequently the wearer's neck.
This drawback has been recognized and attempts have been made to provide helmets which eliminate or reduce such effect. Accordingly, helmet face guard combinations in which the face guard is somewhat resiliently mounted so as to absorb shock or distort upon being grasped are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,164. Other attempts to alleviate the above-indicated problem include the provision of a pivotal face guard such as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,624 or a fully break-away face guard as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,336. The citation of the above-indicated patents along with the discussion thereof constitutes applicant's Prior Art Disclosure and in that regard, a copy of each such patent is enclosed with this application.
Such prior art attempts to alleviate the above-discussed problems have not, however, met with complete success, and accordingly the need still exists for a face mask helmet combination which effectively reduces the above-discussed type of neck injury. It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a safety device for use with a protective sports helmet including an open grid-like mask adapted to be connected thereto but fully removable therefrom when grasped by another player no matter what the direction of the pull may be.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a safety device of the aforementioned type in which the mask portion thereof is normally engaged with the helmet by a frictional snap lock in a relatively uncomplicated fashion and which does not alter the overall appearance of the helmet.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the fully break-away connection of a mask having a peripheral rod-like base portion over the generally central facial opening of a helmet and having downwardly extending opposed side portions and an upper central connecting portion. The mask/helmet connection is accomplished by attachment means having a plurality of spaced attachment points including an element having a forwardly directed undercut channel opening provided on each of said opposed side portions and said connected central portion. In alternate embodiments of the invention, the attachment points may either take the form of a plurality of spaced blocks disposed about the periphery of the facial opening of the helmet, or in the form of a single element extending about the periphery of said opening.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connected with the accompanying illustrative drawing.